T’nar pak sorat y’rani.

In every online source, this phrase is described as an honorable greeting, but it is never actually translated.

In the ENT episode, “Fallen Hero,” T’Pol uses this phrase to welcome Ambassador V’Lar aboard the Enterprise. However, Archer had already welcomed her and it would be unseemly for T’Pol to welcome her again, as it would indicate disrespect for her Captain by presuming that only a Vulcan could properly welcome a Vulcan aboard the Enterprise. 

Instead, we may assume that T’Pol was approaching V’Lar as a respected elder (whom, we discover, T’Pol had previously met and held in deep regard) and greeting her with a respectful, common greeting as an individual (it was also clear that T’Pol was afraid that the ambassador would be terribly offended by the vulgar, cloddish, smelly humans, and wanted to intervene to allay her disapproval).

So what does it mean?

Well, if we reference the VLD, we get T'nar-tor pak (?) (?), or, “Belonging to, To accept, loss,” with a lot of question marks.

The words we know are Nar-tor and pak:

Nar-tor: (verb) to accept
Pak: (noun) loss

Beyond this, however, deriving an actual translation of the term is rather difficult because the phrase contains two words (sorat, rani), and an affix (y’) that are never defined in the VLD lexicon. 

It also appears to misapply one of the most basic affixes (T’) used in Golic Vulcan (T’nar).
We can begin to understand the phrase (or cobble together an approximate translation) by realizing that this is one of the most ancient phrases still used in Vulcan discourse and its meaning is derived from long-disused, pre-Surak vocabulary. So let’s look at the lost words:

Sorat

This word has no current meaning, but its ancient meaning might be similar to equanimity, or tranquility. Asking to accept the loss of tranquility might make sense, given certain contexts. It would be valuable to simply import Sorat into the modern lexicon, because it is a quite useful concept:

Sorat: (noun) equanimity, tranquility, or a tranquil state of mind.

Rani

This word derives from the same root from which we derive the modern Golic verb, ranau, to train (note that ranau, as a regular strong verb, is also of ancient derivation).

In its most basic translation, rani could mean, “trainer,” but this is probably inadequate. Rather, it more likely refers to an elder teacher or master, almost a guru or sage: One who has attained a highly superior level of mastery. The modern Golic word for master is Trensu, from the verb tren-tor, to master, which might easily have evolved from T'rani, which would mean, "that which is belonging to a master."

While savensu means ‘teacher,’ and trensu means ‘master,’ rani would mean ‘superior master,’ or ‘master teacher.’ In modern Golic, this would be rendered, Ranisu. Note, also, that telasu means ‘elder.’ Ranisu would be more akin to, “well-trained elder;” whereas anyone who reaches the age of 200 is an elder, only one who has spent a lifetime studying and practicing a difficult disciple (Kohlinar, the sciences, medicine, politics, etc.) would be a Ranisu.

Rani: (noun) (ancient) guru, sage
Ranisu: noun) (contemporary) guru, sage (lit: guru person)

The affix Y’ 

This does not exist in modern Golic Vulcan, but we can presume that it might be a now disused indicator for the idea of “revered," or “learned." It might also refer to ritual or ceremonial things. 

There is some precedent for this in that the modern from of honorific is (o~) attached to the start of a term; osu for ‘honored person,’ for example. 

One can easily see how "y’rani"  might have evolved over 2,000 years or so, into the modern form, oranisu, honorable trainer. As applied, y’rani most accurately becomes, “revered master,” as opposed to oranisu, or "honored master." Even still, in modern terms it could be y’orainsu, a ritually revered elder, or priest, kholinar master, etc.

y': (affix) revered, in reference to ritual things

The affix T’

The final question involves the use of the affix, T’, meaning "belonging to," or “of," apparently being misapplied to the verb Nar-tor, meaning to Accept. One would hardly say, “belonging to to accept,” or even, “of to accept,”  in modern Golic Vulcan; it just doesn’t make any sense. 

But, again, this is an ancient form so we must look deeper. Originally, T’ was more akin to, ‘in the possession of,’ or “collected by,” rather than, ‘belonging to.’ The distinction is subtle, but the older form assumed one was speaking of a property possessed or acquired by an external entity, while the modern refers to a personal individual or inherent association. Anciently, T’nar meant, “To gather acceptance to oneself.” 

So, collecting all these bits together we can start to tease out a translation:

T’nar pak sorat y’rani

Lit: To gather acceptance of (the) loss (of, or interruption in, your) equanimity, revered’elder
Trans: I respectfully intrude upon your time, honored one*
Alternate Trans: I respectfully introduce myself, honored one.
Pron: t’nar PAK soRAT y’RAni

The phrase would be used to greet or approach a respected elder, a government official, or anyone who is socially superior to you. Its literal translation may seem rather bizarre but, if you imagine a student approaching a master, asking if he may interrupt the elder’s meditations, it begins to make sense.

T’nar pak sorat y’rani is so common that it’s original derivations and direct translation are largely forgotten and its most common idea is rendered more as, “I respectfully intrude upon your time, honored one,” or even, “I respectfully introduce myself, honored one.” 

This might easily have been T’Pol’s context when she greeted V’Lar.

And, just like Dif-tor heh smusma, T’nar pak sorat y’rai has a formal reply:  

T’nar jaral

Lit: To accept respect
Pron: t’NAR zh-RAL
In this response, the elder accepts that the interruption was made with proper respect and accepts or accedes to the interruption, or acknowledges the introduction. 

(Important note: Jaral is not translated in the VLD, nor is there a Vulcan translation for the English word respect. But it makes sense in this context to presume that jaral could mean respect, and so I am treating it as such.)

Jaral: (noun) respect

Final notes: T’nar pak sorat y’rani is also used when opening a formal event, such as a conference, or a speaker is beginning a formal speech (say, at a Science Academy graduation) and, in this latter case, it is not necessary for the audience to respond with “T’nar jaral.” 

The phrase may even be employed by a superior asking for the attention of an inferior but, always, it its understood that the superior’s time is the more valuable. It is inconceivable that an inferior would reply, “Ri’i,” (Not now).

So there we have it, three words and a new affix added to the lexicon and, at last, we have a functional translation of the phrase.

-- T'Lara

* If you want the phrase in standard Modern Golic Vulcan, it would be:
Vi-quitau nash-veh fi’wak t’osu. (Intrude I upon (the) time of honored person.)